Remembering Kaufman Music Center's Founder
On November 29, the Kaufman Music Center community came together in Merkin Concert Hall to celebrate the life of the Center's founder, Dr. Tzipora H. Jochsberger Z"L, who passed away in Jerusalem on Oct 29 at age 96. Below: the event concluded with a performance of "Music Lives Forever" by the Special Music School 4th grade chorus, led by Sean Hartley. Read Dr. Jochsberger's obituary in the New York Times.

Lucy Moses School student news

Mia Bramel (17, student of Golda Tatz) was named a 2018 YoungArts National Competition Winner.

Noah Faithfull (10, piano student of Emily White) performed at Queens College in the Associated Music Teachers League's Winter Musicales.

Taysia Pokrovskaya (12, piano/Young Artist Program student of Irina Nuzova) was awarded Third Place at the First Annual Youth Competition in November. In December she won Second Place at the Vivo Youth International Music Competition.

Sophia Reyes (14, Young Artist Program, flute student of Valerie Holmes) was selected to perform at the 2018 Biennial North American Suzuki Association of the Americas Conference in Minneapolis, MN in May.

Henry Tang (15, piano student of Igal Kesselman), won first prize at the Claudette Sorel Piano Competition at SUNY Fredonia in November.

Special Music School Student News

This fall Special Music School launched a High School Ambassadors program. Ambassadors receive training in public speaking and fundraising and act as the face of the School for supporters, donors and community leaders. On December 7, several Ambassadors represented the School at the inaugural Scholarship Breakfast, which featured student performers and a panel discussion about how Special Music School impacts their lives. Below: Kaufman Music Center Trustee Bethany Millard with SMS High School Ambassadors Deandre Desir, Moises Molina and Maya Fortune.

The Special Music School Advanced Women's Choir, directed by Emily John, performed with opera superstar Ailyn Pérez at The Center for Educational Innovation's 2017 Gala at the Plaza Hotel on November 30. The choir rehearsed with Ms. Pérez at Kaufman Music Center on Nov 2. Watch video of the rehearsal:

The Special Music School Vox Nova Girls Choir, directed by Emily John, performed as part of the Canterbury Choral Society’s performance of Mahler 8 at Carnegie Hall on November 18. The concert also included a world premiere by Rollo Dilworth.

The Special Music School Flute Ensemble and friends, led by Valerie Holmes, have been delighting Upper West Side audiences this fall, performing in the neighborhood at Trader Joe’s, TD Bank and Sugar Factory.

Olive Glass (7th grade, flute student of Valerie Holmes) was selected to perform at the 2018 Biennial North American Suzuki Association of the Americas Conference in Minneapolis, MN in May.

Amos Lageschulte and Tommy Wazelle (both 2nd grade flute students of Valerie Holmes) performed at a celebration of the life of Kaufman Music Center’s founder, Dr. Tzipora H. Jochsberger Z”L in Merkin Concert Hall on November 29.

Kevin Zephyrin (8th grade, bassoon, student of Nanci Belmont) was the First Place winner of the fourth Camerata Artists International Concerto Competition (Junior I). He performed the C. M. Weber Bassoon Concerto with Camerata Orchestra at Kaufman Music Center’s Merkin Concert Hall on February 24.

Face the Music News

String Quartets from Face the Music will perform with the celebrated Kronos Quartet in Kaufman Music Center's Merkin Concert Hall on February 5, 7:30 pm, as part of the 2018 Ecstatic Music Festival.

This season you can also catch Face the Music at Roulette (March 12 & June 4), the Jazz Gallery (March 18 & June 10), the Dimenna Center (April 21), National Sawdust (June 24) and other NYC venues. Get the full schedule.

The 2018 Luna Composition Lab Fellows have been announced! Congratulations to Caroline Bragg, Maya Johnson, Helen Lyons, Katie Palka and Aliya Salmanov. Meet the fellows. Honorable Mentions were awarded to Olivia Fiore, Abby Harris, Apsara Kasiraman, Sarah Sotomayor and Danielle Wu. The fellows' works will be performed at Roulette on June 4 and at National Sawdust on June 24.

Parent News

Congratulations to Special Music School parent Hector del Curto for his Grammy nomination - Best Latin Jazz category for "Jazz Tango."

FACULTY News

Liam Burke (Clarinet) was the 2017 recipient of the Sanders/Juilliard/Tel Aviv Museum Prize. He spent a week in Tel Aviv, Israel, and his visit culminated in a performance of the Brahms Clarinet Quintet at the Tel Aviv Museum. Martin Sanders — an active patron of the arts and brother of the late pianist Samuel Sanders — established this Prize at The Juilliard School in his brother’s name. Martin Sanders funded Liam’s all-expenses-paid trip to Israel, which included a $5,000 cash award a visit to Jerusalem with a personal tour guide. Liam couldn’t be more grateful for his recent opportunity to be immersed in the culture of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, as well as the chance to perform his favorite piece of music with an ensemble of highly talented Israeli musicians and newly found friends.

Kaufman Music Center mourns the passing of past piano faculty member Mara Mirapolskaya, who passed away on Tuesday, January 16 following a long illness.

Nurit Pacht (Violin) performed in December with the Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia and the Newburyport Festival Orchestra in Massachusetts, with whom she was leading and performing as a soloist.

Luke Schwartz (Theory & Guitar) has a busy season of premieres coming up this winter and spring. January 19 & 20 - Premiere of a new work for violin and guitar at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, performed by Adrianna Mateo. January 20 - Premiere of two short film scores at the Quiet City Sound Film Festival at Spectacle Theater, Brooklyn. February 1 - Premiere of live film score at Lucy Moses School Faculty in Concert at Kaufman Music Center’s Merkin Concert Hall. March 5 - Premiere of a new work for guitar, pedal steel, cello and percussion at Pine Box, Brooklyn. May 18 – Premiere of Philip Glass’s String Quartet No. 3 (arranged for guitar quartet) at Spectrum, Brooklyn.

Morrie Sherry (Clarinet, Chamber Music) will perform with the St. Cecilia Chamber Ensemble on February 11 at Christ and St. Stephens Church. Works will include the Duo Concertante for clarinet and French horn by Sobeck and two tangos by Piazzolla for clarinet and string quartet.

Golda Tatz (Piano) gave a recital and masterclass at Lethbridge College in Alberta, Canada in November.

Emily White (Piano, Chamber Music) was featured on the November 21 radio program "Between the Keys" with Jed Distler on WWFM.org. The program is archived here. She also performed Rachmaninoff's Second Suite at Steinway Hall in the Associated Music Teachers League's fall gala concert, and she played with the Purchase Symphony Orchestra as guest pianist in Frank Martin's Ballade for Flute, String Orchestra and Piano.

Milena Zhivotovskaya (Piano) performed in the Mallery Concert Series at Rutgers University in November as part of Duo Ephelia (piano and clarinet).